Jennifer Lawrence Interview For ‘Silver Linings Playbook’

Adapted from the best-selling novel by Matthew Quick, ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ is a touching, one-of-a-kind comedy about love and second chances. Pat Peoples (Bradley Cooper) is a man always trying to look on the bright side of life – the title of the story takes it’s name from the expression that “every cloud has a silver lining.” Released from the hospital after losing his wife to another man, Pat believes this age-old adage is just the ticket to trying to win her back and get his life on track. Trying to remain resolutely undiscouraged, Pat moves back in with his parents and devotes himself entirely to becoming the man his wife always wanted him to be. But it’s an uphill battle. Until Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a beautiful young woman whose life also has not turned out the way she wanted. Together, the couple will try and navigate through their lives and stay true to who they are. Directed by David O. Russell, ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ also stars Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Anupam Kher, Chris Tucker, Julia Stiles, John Ortiz, Shea Whigham and Dash Mihok. The film arrives in cinemas on November 21st (it’s out on limited release in the US now). My interview with Bradley Cooper for ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ can be read here.

Speaking to Bradley Cooper about ‘Silver Linings Playbook,’ he was telling me that much of the story and character dynamics came from the actors working with David O. Russell and each other on set, exploring different avenues….

Jennifer Lawrence: Yeah. It was like a blossoming, growing organism. It’s beautiful. Reading the script, I really loved my character, then working with David she slowly started evolving. And then finally watching the film, I knew that it would be funny, but I didn’t realise it would be as heartwarming, that was something that David did completely on his own. It was this lovely, heartwarming beast and I’d always seen it as sarcastic and a dark comedy kind of thing. I just think that it’s a beautiful love story that we really haven’t seen, and every scene in the film while we were filming, it just felt so different – it came alive as we were making it. I mean, it’s beautifully written, but I would have never have guessed that ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ would end up like it did, it’s not what I read.

What was it about Tiffany that really appealed to you? For me there’s many layers to her, and she evolves….?

Jennifer Lawrence: Tiffany, she’s a very tough, no BS kind of girl. She’s recovering from being a sex addict, and now she just takes out her aggression by being mean to pretty much everyone (laughs). I love Tiffany because….she’s different, she is who she is and she makes no apologies for it – she really know how to be alive, how to live. She knows she’s not perfect and she doesn’t want to be. She doesn’t want anybody to think she’s better than what she is. She’s just herself and she totally ok with that. But Tiffany, she’s like an onion (laughs), there’s so many weird, bizarre layers to her. There’s so many dimensions that continue to evolve.

I was told that you said yes to ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ before reading the script, because of David O. Russell?

Jennifer Lawrence: Yeah. And then when I read the script I was like, “Yes, please?!” (Laughs) David, he wrote and directed ‘Silver Linings Playbook,’ and he’s just brilliant, absolutely brilliant. I always say that he’s kind of the Meryl Streep of directors, everything he does is just completely different – you can’t even compare any of his movies. They’re unrecognisable, he doesn’t even have a specific style almost because he can do everything. I love his characters, they’re quirky, weird, intense and as a director he can help bring out something you don’t even know you can do – you can’t ask more than that. I’d always wanted to work with him, he’s one of my favourite directors.

How was it working with the likes of Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro on these meaty, complex characters?

Jennifer Lawrence: Bradley Cooper brought everything to the set, he blessed it so much. He’s brilliant, he’s a genius and he’s very technical. And David O. Russell, he can bring a performance out of somebody that no one else can. He brought a performance out of me where I was able to do things I never thought I’d be able to do. But Bradley’s incredibly technical, with lights, lenses, cameras. The two of them are a hilarious pair (laughs). He blessed the set, everybody love him, he was hilarious. And for Pat, he couldn’t be any better because of his sweet eyes, everything he feels you see in his eyes. He’s great. And Robert De Niro, he’s phenomenal, I watched him film a monologue at the end of the movie and it was just – everyone on set was in tears. It was unbelievable. He’s truly one of the most remarkable things that’s ever happened to film.